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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

There are movies that are not for the faint of heart, and director John Erick Dowdle's No Escape is one such movie. In it, an against type Owen Wilson portrays a husband and father who has to move his family to a never named Asian country for work, on the eve of a massive political coo where rebels are killing Americans in the streets. The whole movie is simply about Wilson trying to get his wife and two daughters safely out of the country, which is no easy task. Dowdle really portrays everything in a very realistic fashion that has you gripping your arm rests the entire length of the film. It's the fact that things like this are actually happening out in the world now, that makes this perhaps the most terrifying movie I have seen in a long time. With that said, it is an exceptional film that should be seen if you feel your nerves can take it, because it's a great drama about a man who will protect his family at all costs.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Director Guy Ritchie's adaptation of the Sixties TV series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., is a slick spy thriller with all of the charm of the Sixties spy genre. While this film wont stand out from the pack of all the other similar films, it is an enjoyable time thanks to the chemistry of the leads.

Henry Cavill portrays CIA agent, Napoleon Solo, who is forced to work with KGB agent, Ilya Kuryakin, played by Armie Hammer, in order to stop the production and sale of a nuclear bomb by a criminal group. There is a great rapport between Cavill and Hammer in their bickering that keeps it from ever feeling tiresome and always feeling light. Then there is the added layer brought to the proceedings by the third wheel of this crew, which is actress Alicia Vikander as Gaby, an East Berlin car mechanic who may be more than she seems. Vikander seems to be having just as much fun as the guys are in this film, which is very infectious for the audience. When you can tell the actors actually enjoyed their work, it's a lot easier for us to do so too. One person you can obviously tell enjoyed their work is Guy Ritchie. He directs the film in a highly stylized, pop art way that really harkens back to the style of the Sixties, using visual cues like split screen and zooms to highlight the early Sixties period that the film takes place in.

When all is said and done, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. does nothing new for the spy genre. It is like a run of the mill Bond caper from the same period in which this film is set, and yet the chemistry between the leads and the sheer coolness of the movie will keep you entertained throughout. I most definitely would like to see a sequel, perhaps with a little more stakes the next go around. Here's hoping this one is successful enough, because it would be a shame for a cast this enjoyable being relegated to a one-off mission on the silver screen.